Ashish Bharat Ram is one of the country’s top corporate golfers and belongs to the prestigious Bharat Ram family that has had tremendous contribution towards the game of golf and the Delhi Golf Club. Bharat Ram, who travels for golf had a serendipitous run-in with Tiger Woods, one that he can’t ever forget. As Woods plans his maiden India visit, Bharat Ram recounts that meeting.
[Q] You have met Tiger Woods in the past, what did you think of your meeting? [/Q]
[A] It was wonderful seeing him. He looked completely different in his non golfing attire and like a normal person if you know what I mean. His personality was so different without his ‘game’ face on. [/A]
[Q] You are a star golfer in the corporate circuit, how big is this visit for India according to you? [/Q]
[A] Thanks for your compliment but am no star corporate golfer. This visit is huge. We have had stars like Ernie Els, Darren Clarke come before but Tiger is in a different league. There is going to be mayhem at DGC on Tuesday and understandably so. Tiger is one of a kind. [/A]
[Q] How can a player like Tiger help in making golf come under the spotlight for a nation obsessed with cricket. [/Q]
[A] Well that’s not going to be easy but this will be a statement for sure. Cricket is big because of the money involved and what Tiger can do is show that people can make it even bigger in Golf. Very few cricketers make it really big but a lot of Golfer’s can do really well in golf, I think it’s a question of time when people start realising that. [/A]
[Q] Do you believe Tiger Woods should some day consider playing a public tournament in India? [/Q]
[A] For sure. I think guys like Tiger, Phil, Rory can also gain a lot by building an Indian fan base beyond what exists today. Leave aside the state of our economy today, when things improve this will be a big market and from just their perspective it will be something that they will gain from. Plus, I think every big star owes this to emerging golf markets so as to encourage the development of the game. [/A]
[Q] You and your family have historic links to DGC, how do you feel about Tiger playing on this course? Could it be challenging for him? [/Q]
[A] Am not sure if it will be challenging. DGC is not at its best right now since it is in the peak of winter but it’s truly an honour that he is playing at DGC first. My grandfather must be a proud founder looking at this from the Heavens. One thing I am sure of is that it’s unlikely that he would have played an old style course like DGC in a long time if ever. [/A]
